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Had substitute Marcus Browne been a bit more selfish and shot or Michail Antonio latched properly on to the pass he chose instead late on then West Ham would have had a second and more or less had the game in the bag.

As it was, Giurgiu went straight down to the other end and when the visitors failed to deal with a corner Alibec fired the loose ball home.

Still, they really ought to do it. Although they were meant to struggle the last time these two sides met, either.

Calleri rises high on debut to meet a corner (Image: REUTERS)

Michail Antonio battles for the ball at a corner (Image: REUTERS)

Bilic learned from that defeat and is clearly paying Marius Sumudica’s side and the competition more respect.

Astra have earned just four points from four games in the league this season, but they were clearly buoyed by the challenge the Premier League side presented them.

They were lifted, too, by the return to the dugout of boss Sumudica, who is serving a two-month ban in his homeland for a betting offence but was given permission by UEFA to take his seat for the two legs of this tie.

His side found themselves on the back foot early on as Antonio looked to make quick amends for the penalty he gave away against Chelsea on Monday but his header was cleared off the line.

Denis Alibec smashes in the equaliser for Astra (Image: REUTERS)

Alibec celebrates his goal by ripping off his shirt (Image: REUTERS)

Neither side looked too dangerous up, although Jonathan Calleri could perhaps be forgiven for feeling his way into the game on his first start for the visitors after joining on a season-long loan from Argentine side Deportivo Maldonado.

But he showed a glimpse of the threat Bilic believes he possesses when a firm header from Gokhan Tore’s centre needed a good save from Silviu Lung.

Just a couple of minutes later, Lung had a penalty to deal with after Tore’s corner was handled by Cristian Sapunaru but he dived left with Noble sending it straight down the middle.

The travelling Hammers fans hoped Noble’s away goal would give them a slender advantage but they hadn’t counted on Astria, resurgent at the end, levelling through Alibec.